Experiences of loss and mourning among school-children aged 13 to 18 / Experiências de perda e de luto em escolares de 13 a 18 anos

This study examines the experiences of loss and mourning among 25 school-children aged 13 to 18 who suffered expressive losses through death. Methodology was based on a semi-structured interview. Five categories emerged from content analysis: circumstances of loss, reactions to loss, the mourning adolescent and family, the mourning adolescent and school, the mourning adolescent and his/her emotional expression. Adolescents showed greater difficulty in expressing and sharing losses which were a result of homicide, suicide and AIDS. Not only are such losses a consequence of problematic situations triggering strong emotional contents, they are also worsened by the fact that they are often the object of prejudice and socially constructed. Many interviewed subjects consider family and school ineffective as a source of support for their needs resulting from mourning.